Shining Stars

The Sport of Philanthropy is a publication created by social enterprise Champions for Philanthropy that highlights exemplary philanthropic endeavors and activism among professional athletes, teams and major sports leagues.

On March 30, Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore received the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his dedication to his community, as demonstrated through his ARMS Foundation established in 2012 as well as his other philanthropic activity. Named after the late Hawks center who passed away in 2005, the annual award honors a Hawks player who exemplifies Collier’s community leadership.

Recently completing his fifth season with the Hawks, Bazemore is deeply rooted in his community work throughout the Atlanta area and beyond. His charitable efforts are lengthy, but here are a few recent highlights that helped earn him the recent honor:

Bazemore recently partnered with Nancy Lieberman Charities and Under Armour to refurbish a community basketball court at Thomasville Recreation Center in Atlanta. Bazemore also participated in the court’s dedication ceremony last month.

In order to provide career development opportunities in technology for underserved young adults, Bazemore and his foundation provide scholarships for students from Old Dominion University, Bazemore’s alma mater, and Winston-Salem State University to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas.

In partnership with Comcast Cares, Bazemore and his foundation have created STEM learning opportunities for over 1,150 students and counting by providing robotics boards for public elementary schools.

This past December, Bazemore supported the “Hawks Holiday Hangout” event, which offered 150 local youth an exciting holiday experience at the new State Farm Arena, with activities including a special dinner, ornament decorating, basketball drills and a holiday-themed photo booth.

In February, Bazemore participated in the Hawks’ “Business of Basketball” event where local HBCU students from Morehouse, Spelman and Clark Atlanta learned about working in the sports industry and the business side of professional basketball.

The Jason Collier Memorial Trophy is not the first time Bazemore has received recognition for his work off the court though. Among other honors, Bazemore earned the prestigious Atlanta Phoenix Award, the city’s highest civilian honor, in 2017 from Mayor Kasim Reed for his significant contributions and service to the city.